X-raypad is a brand that’s known for their (customized) mousepads and mouse skates. The Aqua Control Pro Neon line is one of their newest efforts and is -contrary to what the name would suggest- a hybrid pad that’s focused towards the speed end of the spectrum. Curious to know how this all feels ingame? We’ve sent a pad over to our reviewer to find out! Read our full X-raypad Aqua Control Pro review to learn exactly what he thought of it.
At A Glance
X-raypad Aqua Control Pro Neon Mid
Used by 1 player ()-
jawgemo
The X-raypad Aqua Control Pro Neon is a premium high quality-speed focused pad that still offers a decent amount of stopping power. It’s finished to a high standard and it handles moisture well. If you’re after this type of glide, it’s a great purchase, and the only thing I can hold against it is the fact that the surface is on the rougher side.
Pros
- High quality stitching
- Very consistent surface and glide
Cons
- Expensive
- Rougher surface can get annoying after a while
Specs
| Height | 50 |
|---|---|
| Length | 50 |
| Thickness | 4mm |
| Stitched edges | Yes |
| Material | Cloth |
| Glide | Speed-Oriented |
| Static Friction | 38 |
| Static Friction Angle | 7.2 |
| Glide Difference X/Y | 4.8 |
| Dynamic Friction | 1.72 |
First Impressions
The Aqua Control Pro Neon (there’s also a black line of Aqua Control Pro pads) comes in three different configurations. There’s extra soft, soft, and mid. This review is focused on the mid version. The overall glide descriptions can be applied to all three pads though, since they have the same surface. Softer pads get slower when applying pressure to the mouse (which causes the mouse feet to sink into the surface) and thus feel slower when gaming but there are no differences otherwise between the various versions.
With that out of the way, I’d like to say that it might be time for X-raypad to reevaluate their naming convention. Taking a look at their website, there’s the Aqua Control Pro, Aqua Control Zero, Aqua Control+, Aqua Control 2, and Aqua Control Super. The Aqua Control 2, for example, is the ‘old Aqua Control Plus before September 2021’, according to X-raypad. It’s all very confusing, especially for people who don’t really follow the scene.
On to the mousepad itself then. The Aqua Control Pro Neon Mid comes flat-packed, whereas the other versions come in a tube. Luckily, there are no issues with laying flat on any of the AC Pro pads. The eye-catching pink/blue fade design that’s on the pads is not something that I personally love, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If this design is not to your liking, it’s good to know that X-raypad offers the ability to purchase custom-printed AC Pro mousepads.
Finish and Overall Quality
All three pads that I received are finished to a high standard. The stitching is tight and shows no obvious defects. It’s also low profile so that it doesn’t become bothersome when your arm is constantly gliding over the pad’s edge.
Something that stands out is that almost trademark X-raypad grain on the surface. If you’re looking for a smooth surface, this isn’t it. You can feel the texturing of the surface at all times, even when wearing a sleeve.
I use a relatively low sensitivity for all my (shooter) games and as a consequence I am quite often making big swipes. For me, the grainy surface started feeling annoying towards the tail end of longer gaming sessions. Obviously, tolerances for this will differ from person to person, but it’s good to know that this pad is quite a bit rougher than most other speed-oriented pads.
Performance
Glide
Contrary to what the name suggests, the Aqua Control Pro is not a controlling pad. I’d place it in the medium-to-fast category when it comes to the overall glide. What’s important to note is that it takes a while for the pad to get worn in. When I first got it (which is also when I do the glide tests) it was a lot slower than it is now. After a couple of hours of use, the pad got drastically faster. So much so that I felt the need to do the tests again. The data that you see is based on the glide after the pad had been worn in.
Being basically a clone of the well-known Artisan Hien, this is a speedy hybrid pad. It’s got a smooth and fast glide and little static friction. Contrary to some other speed cloth pads though, it does have a surprising amount of stopping power. This leads to an interesting glide where there’s a lot of room to make small mouse movements with little resistance, but there’s still a good amount of control when ending swipes and more aggressive movements.
This type of glide is interesting because it mitigates that ‘Bambi on ice’ feeling that I get with a lot of speed-focused pads. I don’t really mind using a pad with a fast gliding speed, but I do like a little help when coming to a stop. If you’re someone who feels like control pads are too slow but speed pads are too ‘unwieldy’, then this could be an ideal solution.
With that said: I am a control pad type of person, so the AC Pro Neon is too fast for me. I can definitely appreciate the gliding experience they’ve put together here though, and I enjoyed my time with the pad.
Base and Softness
As I mentioned: the X-raypad Aqua Control Pro Neon is available in different versions. The Mid version has a little bit of give, but I wouldn’t say that it’s enough to influence the glide in any meaningful way unless you’re using very small dot skates or applying a lot of pressure. The Xsoft is very squishy, making it easy to bury mouse feet in the surface to give a little bit of extra control. The Soft version is (surprise, surprise) somewhere in the middle.
Both the Xsoft and the Soft versions have a rather standard polyurethane base, whereas the Mid version has a ‘memory-cell polyurethane’ base. The Mid definitely has the stickiest base, but I can’t say that I had any issues with the other two versions on my regular desk.
Everyday Usage
The AC Pro Neon is very resistant to humidity. Even when gaming with very sweaty hands (there were some really warm days during my testing period) I didn’t feel any significant changes in the overall glide of the mousepad. Combine that with the excellent quality of the low-profile stitching and you’ve got a mousepad that’s very comfortable to use, even on very warm and humid days.
The only thing that could potentially be a dealbreaker is -as mentioned- the roughness of the surface. How much this impacts your enjoyment of the pad will depend on your personal preferences as well as your overall sensitivity.
X-raypad Aqua Control Pro Neon Alternatives
Being widely known as an Artisan Hien clone, the most obvious alternative is the Artisan Hien. I don’t have any hands-on experience with that pad though, so I can’t really make a detailed comparison on both mousepads.
X-raypad Aqua Control Pro Neon vs Fnatic JET
The Fnatic JET is another hybrid pad with premium finishing, so it can be considered as an alternative to the AC Pro Neon. The JET is quite a bit faster, though. The static friction is similar, but the JET has very little stopping power and is far more ‘slippery’ when gliding around. I’d consider the JET to be a true speed pad, whereas the AC Pro Neon is more of a medium-fast pad.
Read our Fnatic JET review
X-raypad Aqua Control Pro Neon Review – Conclusion
The X-raypad Aqua Control Pro Neon is a premium high quality-speed focused pad that still offers a decent amount of stopping power. It’s finished to a high standard and it handles moisture well. If you’re after this type of glide, it’s a great purchase, and the only thing I can hold against it is the fact that the surface is on the rougher side.
If you can handle that, the X-raypad Aqua Control Pro Neon is a fantastic option to consider if you’re looking for a speedier cloth pad.
You can learn more about the X-raypad Aqua Control Pro on X-raypad’s website.
This product was received for free from the manufacturer and given to our reviewer to test and review. Brands and manufacturers have no editorial control over our reviews. For more information, check out our review FAQ.
